Venalia ex postremo praeteritus
by Yusagi
Summary: CH 2: a plan? 10 years after the war. Voldemort won, only two survived by careful ruse. Now they want to go back and stop him from winning, but what will happen to their relationship? HBP compliant, set in 5th year. SSHG
1. Memor

Disclaimer: With the way I toss main characters around, you're lucky I _don't_ own HP

AN: Amazing what you think of when you've watched too much X-men. There are some slight spoilers for HBP, but this is mostly set in the distant future and Harry's fifth year. SS/HG

Roughly, the title means Sins of future past (you SO do not recognize that ;p) (and chapter means remembering...duh.)

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_Venalia ex postremo praeteritus_

**Chapter 1: _Memor_**

They were all so far gone now. She never really knew how it ended up this way. There was that vague idea in her mind, what Severus always said, but...

But...

There had to be more. It just...could not be. One tiny mistake? One slip up and they had lost everything? She would rather have messed up a thousand times and shown herself to be a complete dunderhead, than suffer through the agony of _just one mistake_.

She sniffled slightly as she stared down at the graves, she was supposed to be stonger than this! She could not show weakness, she was the wife of the Dark Lord's right hand man, after all. It had been Dumbledore's last desperate plan that had kept anyone alive long enough to put up any kind of resistance, and Severus' mercy that had allowed her to survive once that failed.

Perhaps 'mercy' wasn't the word for it, 'kindess' was more fitting. After all, he was not so loyal as his 'lord' would believe. Still, he did not have to take her under his wing, to risk everything for a chance to protect her...to give up his freedom to grant her relative safety from the rampaging Death Eaters.

It was ironic, really. Their 'relationship' if that was what you would call it, was merely a ruse to fool his 'lord' into leaving her alone, but it was that act that caused her to fall for him for real. That he would give up everything for a foolish ploy to protect her--even if it wasn't personal, and he would have done it for anyone female--charmed her heart in a way she had never before thought possible.

For the first few years, her love had been anything but wonderful. He had reciprocated none of her feelings, only caring for her because he felt it was his last remaining duty to the Order he had failed to protect. Oh how those years had hurt, how often she wished she could have died alongside her friends! At some time, however, things started to change. It was the little things at first, always with perfect excuses...they should hold hands more, exchange a tender kiss under the mistletoe...all to solidify the illusion that they truly were a couple.

She did not know when the illusion began to slip into reality, when his warm smiles began to surface even when they were alone, his warm hands on her cheeks becoming soft caresses. She wondered if even he realized when he fell in love.

His dark eyes had said so much that he feared to, his feirce embraces expressing something so much deeper than she could have hoped. It was then that the scarred world lest in the wake of the Death Eater's victory had started to look somewhat brighter. Perhaps it was just selfishness, but Hermione had started to wonder if it wasn't better this way.

That was before Severus came home with the news, before she realized just how wrong she was.

-

_He stumbled into the room and gathered her up in his arms without saying a word, nearly crushing her in his grip, silent tears flowing down his cheeks._

"Severus, you're crushing me!" Hermione coughed, trying to wriggle from his grasp. "What is wrong!"

He jerked away from her, and stared down at her without speaking.

"Wh-what is it?"

"Hermione..." he said softly, voice thick with the grief that shone in his eyes, "I've...you..."

"What?"

"Th-the Dark Lord no longer...approves...of our relationship..." He mumbled, looking away. "It seems...he feels it interferes with my performance."

Her eyes widened, "No longer approves? What does that--"

"He's ordered me...to..." her beloved husband turned glittering eyes back to her, "He wants me_ to be the one...to kill you."_

She would have gasped if her breath did not catch in her throat, "Why!"

He shook his head in defeat. "He wishes me to have a more...worthy partner..."

Tears blurred her vision as she stared into his depthless eyes, "What...are you..."

"I won't_!" he hissed, drawing her tightly close to him once more, "I won't! I'll die first!"_

"No! You have_ to! If not for you, there will truly be no hope!"_

"If not for you, I am already dead."

-

Hermione gave a dry sob as she fell to her knees infront of Harry's grave. _It all came undone...without you we lost the battle...without you...I've lost everything I ever cared about..._

A firm hand touched her shoulder, before strong arms wrapped around her and a man knelt beside her.

"Whatever happens...promise you'll be with me?" she whispered softly in his ear.

"Hell's minions could not separate us."

**CH end**

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AN: Alright! Confusing, weird, angsty, dark! I'm loving it. But I must not toot my own work.

Once again, totally written out of boredom. This time, however, I plan to make a full novel!

-Yusagi


	2. Desparatus somnium

Disclaimer: Would HP be lighter or darker if I owned it? Dunno. But the pairing _sure_ as heck wouldn't be HG/RW. So...I don't own it. Obviously.

AN: O.O I didn't expect it to be so popular! Now I'm scared I won't measure up. Carp...Or...Crap...or...something...!

Chapter name: Desperate Dream (inflection of 'foolish dream')

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_Venalia ex postremo praeteritus_

**Chapter two: _Desparatus somnium_**

She shivered silently as she curled up in a ball in the dark corner of the cave, hoping to make herself as small and warm as possible. Severus had been gone for a week. One whole week.

He had said he would find a way to save her, to save himself...to save everyone...then hid her in the small cave she now cowered against the storm in. She had not seen him since then. Not a glance, not a word, not a breath.

The cave was well stocked, so she did not have to worry about starving, but anxiety was eating her away from the inside just as surely as malnourishment. What if he had been caught in his act? If he were dead? What if he had simply abandoned her--for her own good _or_ his?

It was dark, nagging thoughts like those that kept her awake long into the nights, silently sobbing, wishing it would all just end. She had never felt this way before, throughout the war, and the aftermath, there had always been something to bouy her hopes...she had never realized how much it was truly Severus alone that bouyed her.

"Oh, Severus, please come back...please...I can't take it any longer..." She sniffled, struggling not to picture his haunting smile every time she closed her eyes.

Strong arms enveloped her from nowhere, "I'm here...don't cry anymore..."

She opened her eyes in surprise. In the darkness she could only barely make out a figure next to her, "Severus? Is that you?"

Warm lips pressed softly against hers, and a slim hand caressed her cheek reassuringly, "It is I..."

She gave a choked sob, and threw her arms around where she assumed his neck would be, weeping into his robes, "I was..._so_ scared! I...I thought you might've..."

"Might have what? Died? Been captured? Abandoned you?" His voice held the barest hint of amusement, "Hermione...didn't I promise I would return?"

"I'm sorry, Severus...I was just so...scared and alone...and..."

"It's alright..." He whispered soothingly, "I'm here now...everything will be fine...I've found a way to go back..."

She gasped, "How!"

"There is an ancient magic...with it we can go back...we can fix this..."

"But...what can we do? How can we stop it?"

"I have my ideas..." he replied with an enigma in his voice, "Come...the only way is to go to the graveyard."

"Home? But Severus--"

He placed a hand on her mouth to prevent her from continuing. "I will deal with them when they come...you..."

She shook her head violently, "_NO!_ Severus, I won't go without you!"

"Hermione..."

"I don't care! I know it's selfish, but I don't care about what happens to anyone if I'm not with you! I don't care about what happens to _me_!"

He engulfed her in a fierce hug, "Please, Hermione..."

"Not without you! Please, Severus...come with me..._please_!"

There was a pause. "Alright...I'll come with you...I promise."

"To the end?"

"To the end."

Hermione sighed softly, holding him tight. "...Will we make it?"

"We already have."

  
**CH end**

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AN: >.> /is nervous/ Yeah...there it is...It'll be slow at first as you can see...

Duj: Thanks, I hope it stays ingtriguing, eh?

Jia: Thank you much! You really made my day, I'm glad you so enjoyed it .

Trans: Thank you .

Snakeyes: I'm glad you like it!

-Yusagi


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